I'm a young kid, only in middle school. I have a mostly non-bias view of this topic. My parents were Jew, but not really into it. So I basically thought about it. My brother switched to atheism and I did to. He switched back, but I stayed. The bible, and the idea of god just doesn't make sense. At school, I have friendly debates at school, and I shoot every one down. I challenge someone, anyone who disagrees with me, to debate! Just one more thought, for this argument lets stay respectful :)

Since the beginning of human interaction there has always been the idea of a higher being. These ideas evolved into organized religions, which play a big role in our lives. Those who believe in the existence of a god or gods are theist, and those who do not are atheists. Both of these are reasonable ways of thinking, and one is not better than the other. It is a personal preference. Theists claim that they discover meaning for their lives through their relation with god. They find relief and peace by seeing god as someone personal and real in their lives. Atheist"s view of life requires greater strength and commitment than the theist"s view of life. By denying the existence of god, atheists have taken on more responsibilities in life, not less. Atheism is different from most other religions of the world. Obviously you say the religions of the world believe in a supreme being whereas atheism does not believe in a god. No it is different in a much more fundamental sense. Atheism is not about a moral code; it is about acknowledging a basic fact of life, that there is no god. It has nothing to say about what is moral and what is not. They believe that they are responsible for their choices and their lives. The motivation is different though, the atheist will not do something because of a belief in god, they do it to achieve visible success. Becoming an atheist will not make someone automatically a better father, husband, wife, mother, son, daughter or neighbor it won't make them a worse person either. Atheism is neutral. What it does is it clears the air. It provides a starting point for setting up a value system. Being an atheist does not compel you to act in any particular fashion. An atheist can be good or bad. Theism is a positive assertion that god does exist. Whatever this god may be to the theist is irrelevant to the definition of theism as a word on its own. Under the term theism, there are many religions that fall under it such as: Catholicism, Judaism, Christianity, Lutheran, and Methodist etc. Each of these have different ways of worship, specific beliefs, and gods, but they all believe in a higher being. Religion gives men a purpose for living, which is to please some god and earn eternal happiness in heaven.

Putting the words atheism and morality in the same sentence might raise an eyebrow or two. Many people believe that Atheists do not have morals because they do not believe in a god. I, however, disagree with that statement. Not researching the beliefs, or non-beliefs, of atheism causes assumptions and therefore people jump to conclusions about their views. Morals are choices that fall on each individual separately regardless of religion. First we must comprehend the reasoning behind atheism, and what it pertains to, in order to understand that there is a moral system despite a lack of religion. According to the Webster"s New Collegiate Dictionary atheism is defined as a disbelief in the existence of deity. As a result, the possibility of the existence of god(s) or supernatural events is not entirely ruled out. A weak atheist requires strong, testable, explainable, and repeatable evidence before granting the possibility that there are no gods. A strong atheist holds that in all probability, no such evidence can or ever will be produced for him to believe in god. Not attending church or lack of faith in God will not cause a person to develop into an Atheist overnight. However, it is a state that a person individually goes through in order to decide if a certain religion or upbringing is right for them. Only your own thoughts and conclusions can bring forth your changing outlook on religious teachings. Even though one may loose the desire for religious teachings that does not permit grounds for a moral breakdown in society. Not having a belief in religion does not mean that that person does not have values or morals in their life. Atheistic morals are derived from the same place as anyone religious or nonreligious. Namely, your culture, your parents, instinct, your own thinking and observations, and your own experiences are the main denominator in deciding what you believe to be right or wrong.

God, gods and spirits play a central role in The Apology of Socrates. It is no accident that the last word of Socrates" defense is "God". In directly addressing the charge of atheism and corrupting the youth, Socrates makes the accusation seem ludicrous. Plato emphasizes the importance of the gods in accordance to Socrates" wisdom. It is the Oracle at Delphi that prophesizes that he is the wisest of the wise. He is not trying to intentionally defy the gods but question in hope to arrive to some sort of truth and meaning. This is his method of gaining knowledge and truth, through questioning endless possibilities and he does so while passing on his knowledge and encouraging others to think outside the box; it is the gods that gave him this wisdom, "Then I went to one man after another, being not unconscious of the enmity which I provoked, and I lamented and feared this: But necessity was laid upon me, --the word of God, I thought, ought to be considered first". Ancient literature highlights multiple gods that are ever changing and changing the fate of humans and Socrates interprets that one should strive to be like God if God is the supreme which early modern literature emphasizes. Ancient literature speaks of the citizens of the city to follow and obey the gods of the city and Meletus, one of Socrates" three accusers, confuses himself as to which gods Socrates follows and obeys. As Socrates reminds us, the result of his conversations and questions is usually if not always a denial. Someone is shown to contradict himself and thereby reveal that he did not know what he was talking about, that he was not wise. The case of the Oracle of Delphi is different. Socrates" relentless questioning of others convinces him that the oracle was right after all. Because although Socrates, like other mortals, lacks wisdom, he at least knows that he lacks wisdom.